EarthRace – I Continue to Stumble Upon Things

You really can't plan this stuff...

I'd read about some weird ass boat out to set a new world record (no one ever wants to set a family or town record) for the fastest round the world time in a boat that is painted grey or something like that.

Anyway, I came across it in Plymouth.



Something about bio-diesel, apparently from NZ, Maori art...the design is all about “wave piercing”, the plan is for it to spend a lot of time below wave crests (read underwater!).

But check out the forward deck hatch! Hopefully they will fiberglass over that before putting the bow under (been there, done that and it always leaks....imagine tearing that off at 30 knots 5 meters deep!).

Crazy Kiwis.

Anyway, here are some shots...for several thousand pounds you can travel aboard (and they had posted a listing for a skipper!), something tells me this plan is a tad short in the cash department!

Integer 1 – We Hang out on a Large Yacht!

Tim Glass (see prior postings) was contracted for a weekend charter for a woman's 30th birthday (more on that later!).

This was for a party of 10, so he required a large vessel.

Which he found in Integer 1, a yacht in the Plymouth Yacht Harbor Marina (yep...that's the one I stayed 3 days in and couldn't afford), where he lives on his boat.

Since the boat needed some advance prep work, he got access to it mid-week, and it became our hangout!


Armando volunteered to crew for the charter and I offerred to help set things up (drink beer while they worked and do a bit of cooking...I didn't dare go on the weekend given the gender and age of the participants and my current marital status, which it is important that I keep!).

So, from Wed – Friday we made the boat our evening clubhouse.

It is a bit past its prime, but what a boat!

2 masts, a gazilllion hatches, full pilot house, spiral staircase, master double bed suite, 3 heads, what can only be described as a living room (a large salon), big galley and separate crew living quarters!


I took a nap one evening (on a 15' corner rounding couch) while Armando and Tim worked out the navigation for the weekend. When Armando awakened me I first looked at him (Ok...I think I know who that Brazilian is), then around the boat (trying to sort out where I was, whoa....this ain't Severance), then determined what country I was in...then off in the dinghy and back to reality (which is pretty odd as it is these days).

I took some pictures as the boat went by Sat morning (with all the waving women and Armando on deck) before descending the 4 short steps into my humble ship to spend the weekend writing blog articles for the folks back home, pretty sad (Ok...I had fresh duck from a local farm store, nice mushrooms and a wild rice mix, ½ bottle of Plymouth rum, some good wines, a solid internet wireless connection and the sun was shining...”I can't complain but sometimes I still do”!).

As I write this it is Sunday and the charter has not yet returned...so I have yet to learn the fate of my crew in the hands of the 10 young females, but I have prepared for a dinner aboard Integer 1 (after the guests have departed) and may again take a nap on that long couch!

Mount Batten Sailing Center

In Brest we encountered a “sailing center” where youngsters were being instructed on all kinds of sailing craft, from windsurfers to catermarans (all modern, very new equipment).

Mount Batten has one as well and it is really great to see all the young people out experiencing sailing activities...undaunted by whatever the weather might be that day.

Full instruction, chase boats, wet suits (de rigor!) and really enthusiatic “kids”, out chasing each other around, flipping boats and getting experience in high tech, very fast sailboats.

I've not seen anything like it in the US.

Yacht Clubs have junior sailing programs, generally with prams (the St Pete club has some pretty impressive equipment, but still doesn't compare), but they pale in comparison to these centers.

Apparently they get some government funding (in the UK the lottery funds are available for “worthwhile” activities).

In the US, boating is associated with wealth, here it doesn't appear to be (imagine US gov funds going to buy boats to train young people with?).

Whatever the differences are, thousands of young Europeans are being introduced to the sport and it is very heartening to someone like me (that has a love of boats and the sea) to watch the enthusiasm of the young knock around in small boats!

Transmission Goes Back In – Albeit Not as Easily as it Came out!

Merv the Magician at the Mountbatten Boat House found 2 bad bearings in the transmission, found them locally (he says that never happens...possibly 1 but never everything you need) and put the tranny back together on Monday!

We put it back in Tuesday, a trick envolving lines, winches, block and tackle and stolen lumber...you get the picture.

I'm no mechanic, but desparation is the best motivator and I got the son-of-a-bitch back in (hey, that's tame compared to what Armando was exposed to), aligned the shaft as best I could and things appeared to test out (we were limited by the mooring ball).

One of these days we will go off the mooring for a day trip and hopefully prove out the fix, but I've great confidence that the issue is now behind us!!!

Things Continue to go Our Way

Mount Batten also has an acclaimed Yachtmaster sailing school (Plymouth Sailing School).

We will be able to obtain any coursework we feel we need and also set up the (on the water) RYA exam through them.

I discussed our situation with the owner, Richard and his son (shares the same name) and they were very helpful in laying out our options for obtaining the certification.

I also mentioned my need to find an affordable place to keep the boat (the marina was running $60 per night) and he offered the use of a buoy (not usual for them to do this) for a very reasonable $50 per week.

So, taking Bill's advice to do this at slack tide, we tied the dinghy to the side of our transmission-less boat and motored out to the mooring using the 5 horse outboard.

We're right in the path of the ferries, so we can flag one down if we wish, and within easy dinghy range of both sides of the harbor.

The weather has been very cooperative in providing us with gale force winds providing as much as 17 amps of wind gen power.

Solar is another story, however (they don't do very well in fog and rain).

The boat has a great sea motion now as we are battered by tidal current and rain, it gives us a feeling that we are making great progress as we bob and weave around the mooring, even though the scenery looks the same when we peer out a rain covered port.

No need for air conditioning, so we're saving on power there.

Customs came by for an extended visit yesterday morning; they explained it was too rough to work in the channel so they elected to work the harbor...great luck for us!

Ok....time to put on the foulies for a dinghy ride to the shore, we're out of coffee, food and alcohol, we both need to go as the dinghy might blow over with the weight of only one person!

Way Over the Top...Not to be Believe with One's Own Eyes!

While I was in the shop explaining my tales of woe, finally to sympathetic and competent people, a fellow marina inhabitant (Pam) took my hand and led me next door to introduce me to people at Dicky B Marine, a true shipwright facility.

As we entered the large building, she pointed to a boat being refitted and casually mentioned that it had been owned by Chichester....I went completely limp, stuttered something as, lo and behold, my eyes took in the Gypsy Moth!

I'm not making this up...there it was, perhaps the most famous yacht of all time and I was standing right next to it!

If I had known how to properly genuflect I certainly would have, my God what a thing to just stumble upon!

http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=19251&RequestTimeOut=180

We Make a New Friend and Things Keep Going our Way!

Whilst discussing the required repairs to Severance, we met Tim Glass (currently working part-time at Mount Batten Boathouse).

We mentioned our interest in obtaining Yachtmaster certification and it turns out he's an accomplished sailor (years of experience here, in the Med and Caribbean) and a Yachtmaster instructor!

We had hoped to get individual instruction prior to taking the exam so great possibilities there.

One of the prerequisites for getting the certification is a 1 day First Aid course, which aren't held that often.

As it turned out, Tim's First Aid certificate had expired and he had arraigned for a private course the next day (he needed it pronto for insurance purposes given a charter job he had accepted)....would we be interested in taking that with him?

So, the next day we set off in Tim's car for a town in Cornwall, Newquay (interestingly enough pronounced knookie...however that is actually spelled!).

Tim is very interested and knowledgeable in the history of this area, so we learned a great deal during the 2 hour trip there.

Tim took a scenic route, got pretty well lost which was fine with me, and we got a great tour of the countryside...not an easy thing to accomplish when you are there via boat.

The instructor held the course in his parents living room (for just the 3 of us), which had a gorgeous panoramic view of the ocean.

The fee was ½ of what the schools typically charge and we will have obtained the certificates we need for the following steps!

One of Tim's interests is photography and he shared some of his work with us. I hope to obtain a CD of his works, I was really taken by some of them and I'm sure Steve (Diane's brother) would enjoy his photos.

Tim took us to his favorite pub, pronounced us regulars from here on out and we had him to dinner on the boat (he's into food...just my type of fellow!).

One nice thing he pointed out (Bill had made a similar point) is that we're receiving very good treatment as we're true sailors (having crossed the Atlantic to come sailing here), something people hold in high regard.

I will try to explain the English and French regard for yachtsmen in a later blog...suffice to say the term has significance to them.

A Word from Bill

Hi There Scott and Armando.

It is now a week since I left you both in Plymouth and I feel I have had sufficient time to reflect, and recover, from my experiences aboard the good ship 'Severance'. I felt I would be marking time had I stayed aboard as the transmission had been removed, quite rightly as a priority, and you were preparing for a diploma in 'yachtmastering'! Junketing around the coves and hostelries, my forte, was on the back burner.

I must just say that after a career of flying and navigating around the world I am unable to navigate into your 'blogspot' to post this. No geek me! So....

To join Scott and Severance involved a flight from Southampton to Guernsey aboard a 'light twin'. The Captain did the refuelling, baggage loading, collected our tickets, briefed us on safety and emergencies and actually flew the plane (no coffee or biscuits). My arrival at the marina in St Peter Port coincided with that of Severance and Scott's face was a picture when I hailed him to throw a line. He threw many lines after that, but of the verbal variety!

Made to feel most welcome I found a corner, small, to stow my gear and became acquainted with my bunk mate, an outboard engine.

We toured the Island by bus, visited Beaucette, a marina that was an old quarry with the access blasted to the sea by British sappers and ate in the fine restaurant there. Nautical tales were exchanged later with the landlord in 'The Albion', a fine watering hole for mariners! .

Plans were made for the sail to Blighty. Tides, winds, possible destinations and the crossing of the Channel traffic lanes all went into the pot. Options limited, we saddled up and set off as soon as we could clear the cill.

An interesting 21 hours followed with some short, steep seas and winds varying from light to force 7. The electronic displays aboard Severance are impressive, all the more so that they work despite the apparent tangle of wires. One can interrogate contacts and find all manner of information regarding a vessel. It was then that Scott's gregarious nature came to the fore as he hailed, by radio, every ship in our immediate vicinity. But we had one success and it clarified who would do what vis a vis altering course. Falmouth was a welcome sight after some tacking with main double reefed. It almost woke Armando!

Our man set foot in England and we celebrated with a small libation. Somehow the bottle had been broached previously for another noteworthy occasion!

Leaving the dockmaster in gales of laughter, 'tiddy oggies' (meat pies) were consumed and then washed down with local ales. Later Scott was in fine form sounding off about flags, ensigns and how he kept being ripped off for web contact that didn't, and the like, to anyone who would listen. The late night with Michael Collins, a single hander, (look the name up in Irish history), of Irish descent, sorted out most of the worlds afflictions. Happily I am a deep sleeper.

Rather than walk the streets of Falmouth in the rain, a popular past time with the tourists, we departed for Plymouth with large following seas and a handkerchief of headsail. Armando had been there recently and so, on his advice, we berthed at The Haven' marina. This was an inspired choice as once again Scott fell on his feet. His charm and outgoing nature soon had a fix for the engine, coaching and examinations for the yachtmaster ticket and a 'cheap' buoy to moor on!

Celebrations were obviously in order so, after a short ferry ride, we discovered the home of Plymouth Gin and were entertained, not only by the mixers of the drinks, but also by a remarkable firework display. We had stumbled upon a firework competition that went on for 3 days (nights).

Thus it was time for me to depart. I would miss the 2 Michelin star cooking and the fast, verbal repartee. 7 hours fighting the British transport system saw me safely home with memories that I will dine out on for some time to come.

Thank you Scott. May you continue safely.

Bill